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Eat healthily

What is a healthy, balanced diet?

Eating a healthy, balanced diet can help to reduce your risk of heart disease. Making changes to your diet, such as having less salt and choosing the right types of fat, can help to control high blood pressure and high cholesterol, which are risk factors for heart disease.

The Eatwell Guide

The Eatwell Guide is a useful tool that shows us the types and amounts of foods we should eat, and those we should have less of. We don’t need to strictly follow this guide at every meal, but have a balance of food groups over the whole day or week. Following the Eatwell Guide can help us to maintain a healthy weight and get all of the nutrients that we need.

Beans, pulses, fish, eggs, meat and other proteins (eat less red and processed meats and eat more beans/pulses and fish)

Oils and spreads (use small amounts of unsaturated fats such as olive or rice bran oils and spreads)

This is the Eatwell Guide showing how much of what you eat should come from each food group.

Tips for healthier eating

Reduce your fat intake, especially saturated fat (this is important if you have high cholesterol). More detailed advice is covered in the section about controlling cholesterol.

Increase the good omega-3 fats: choose at least 2 portions of fish per week, one of which is an oily fish such as mackerel, herring, sardines, trout, salmon or pilchards.

Reduce your salt intake: too much salt (sodium) in the diet can contribute to high blood pressure which increases the risk of heart disease and stroke (more detailed advice is covered in the section about reducing salt).

Eat less sugar: too much sugar can lead to weight gain and increase your risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

Check food labels: it’s important to know how much fat, sugar and salt is in your food.

Know what counts as a portion of fruit and vegetables:

‘One portion’ is equal to: one banana, 2 plums, a couple of broccoli florets, a carrot, a handful of strawberries, a cereal-bowl size of salad or 2 tablespoons of peas.

Limit fruit juice and smoothies to 150ml per day – the sugar in these drinks is digested faster and can cause tooth decay.

Beans and pulses also count as a serving once a day.

Potatoes do not count as they are carbohydrates.

Increase fibre: fibre is found in vegetables and cereals such as potatoes (with skin), broccoli, beans, oats, corn, wheat and bran. Increase the amount of fibre-rich foods and choose wholemeal bread, rice and pasta. Fibre may help to lower cholesterol.

If you eat between meals, choose healthy snacks such as fruit, unsalted nuts or unsalted popcorn.

Stay hydrated!

It is also important to keep your body well hydrated. Try to drink 6-8 cups of non-alcoholic fluid a day (water, milk, sugar-free drinks, tea, and coffee count), even if it means an extra visit to the toilet.

If you drink alcohol, limit your intake to no more than 14 units per week, spread across the week with at least 2 alcohol free days.

Note: if you have a heart condition, you may need to limit your fluid intake. If you have been told to limit or restrict your fluids then continue to do so. Speak to your GP or practice nurse if you have any questions.